Poultry picker



Dec. 21, 1948.

F. C. VALENTA POULTRY PICKER 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed April 24, 1946 Hank C Valenia INVENTOR.

A TTORNEX F. C. VALENTA POULTRY PICKER Dec. 21, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sh Filed April 24, 1946 set 2 Eran/t C dale):

I VEN To B.

' TTORNEY,

Patented Dec. 21, I 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Frank 0. Valenta, Burbank, Calif. Application April 24, 1946, Serial No. 664,523

12 Claims. (Cl. 17-11.1)

This invention relates to a poultry picker.

More specifically speaking the invention pertains to that type of poultry picker wherein a rotatable member has mounted upon it a series of radially projecting plucking elements of a yieldable nature arranged to move successively across the surface of the body of the fowl in such a manner as to remove its feathers.

Although a considerable number of mechanically operable devices of the above character have already been placed upon the market, the present invention marks a distinct advanced step in the art in that it provides an improved, novel type of plucking element, so that when a set of such plucking elements are substituted for the plucking elements heretofore in use, a considerably larger number of fowls' can be plucked in a given period of time.

t is an object of the invention very materially to increase the plucking speed Without materiallyincreasing the cost of making the plucking machine; the present device, in fact, being manufacturable at a lower cost than many of the plucking machines now in the market.

Another object is to reduce the number of separately mounted plucking elements in the cm. cularly arranged series thus increasing the speed of assembly and at the same time lowering the cost of manufacturing the machine.

Another specific object is to provide plucking nipples or fingers furnished with a ventilating means arranged to form deep channels formaximum cooling and cushioning to prevent burns on the skin of the poultry. These protruding nipples efficiently remove pin feathers, absorb the shock and offer greater bruise prevention.

Yet another'object is to providethe device with a set of plucking elements that will wear for a longer time. This object is attained in part by avoiding using a drum or cylinder as a mounting means for plucking elements, thus eliminating the fatigue of rubber pushing against metal edges and eventually breaking under the strain.

The invention includes the combination with a bobbin-like member especially constructed. for the purpose; of a series of improved plucking members arranged around the axis of said member. The invention also includes the plucking member per'se. a

The foregoing objects and advantages are secured by the provision of a set of elastic segmental members which supports' definite individual groups ofplucking elements: in such a'manher that said'elements may-contact with approximately 30% increased surface area of the teethered body of the fowl, than would be possible if they were supported in a rigid manner.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the central portion of the machine, taken on line |--l of Fig. 4. a fragmentary portion of a container being included in the view. In this view a fowl is shown held by the operator While being plucked by the machine.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of ing members separately shown.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a generally vertical section taken on obtusely angular line 4-4 of Fig. 1, the means for mechanically driving the machine being in cluded in the View.

Fig. 5 is a partly sectional, and partly elevational detail takenon line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section show-- one of the plucking the construction of the flexible nipples.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the prim-- cipal parts or the poultr picker shown are the housing I, which is of an inverted stocky L-shape as viewed in side elevation, said housing has a. rectangular lower portion 8 which is open at its lower end for discharge of the plucked feathers. The housing carries at one side of its upper portion a shield 9, this part of the housing being provided with a motor protecting shelf l0.

Athwart the upper portion of the housing I0 extends a rotatable shaft [I supported in bearing 12 carried by the angle brackets B, said brackets being secured to the sides of said housing. To said shaft by means of collars. M are secured twin end plates I5 which form with said shaft a bobbin-shaped member. Between the. end plates of this member and around its axis is mounted a series of radially extending elongated arcuate members it in which the individual members have their opposite. ends secured to the opposed end plates of the bobbin-shaped memeher. The securing means is shown consisting of inwardly directed apertured ears Ha formed upon the ends of a reinforcing strip [1 which passes longitudinally through each of. said mem bers it. The twin and plates of the bobbin-shaped member are provided at each side with peripheral rows of apertures. to receive short screws: 18% which pass through the apertures of saideers 11ato hold the arcuatemembe'rslfi in place.

edge portion of the web, being provided with a multiplicity of laterally projecting minute frustoconical nipples 21a, these nipples assisting in removing the feathers and being of great value because they absorb the shock against the fowls body and prevent bruising thereof.

By preference and as shown, each of the arcuate members it has its back provided with a fiat surface lfia beveled at ifib at each side so that the inner end portions or central parts of the arcuate members are held by their attaching clips or ears Na in a closely contacted relation to each other, and remain with their central portions wedged together and radially spaced apart as shown in Fig. 1.

Owing to the elastic character of the web portion of each of the arcuate members I6, when the bobbin-shaped member is rotated mechanically in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 while a fowls body is firmly held by the operator midway between the end plates of the bobbin and in a properly contacting relation to the feather-removing-fingers 2|, said fingers and the central outer portion of the nippled webs of the arcuate members are deflected along curved lines so as to conform themselves to a much larger surface of the fowls body than they would contact with if the rows of feather-removing-fingers 2! were rigidly supported. This extensive conformation of the finger carrying portions of the ,webs 20 to the fowls body is well illustratedin Fig. 3. It is to be observed that each row of picking elements 2| is completely supported by rubber, which, being very soft and pliable, is bendable around three sides of the fowls bodies. Also its pliability affords a more positive grip upon the feathers and its design insures a constant pressure, causing cleaner picking.

A pulley 28 is secured to the end of the shaft l I adjacent to the bearing 12. Over this pulley passes a belt 29 driven from a drive wheel 30 carried by the shaft 3| of the electric motor 32.

Both the housing 7 and the motor 32 may be attached to the wall 33 (Fig. 5) of a building or other vertical support. For this purpose a hanger structure 35 is shown for the housing and another hanger structure 36 for the motor 32. Said motor is shown attached to a stud 36a of its bracket36 by means of a horizontal pivot 361), so that the weight of the motor tends to swing it downwardly, thus maintaining tension upon the belt 29.

, Owing to the fact that the housing 1 has an open bottom and is supported by the bracket 35 with its lower end spaced away from the floor of the building in which the device is used, the plucked off feathers will pass downwardly through the open lower end of said housing to be collected within a removable container 40 the upper portion of which is shown in Fig. 1.

1 I claim:

1. In apoultry picker, a bobbin-shaped member, means whereon said member is mounted to rotate about its axis, a circumferentially spaced series of arcuate members mounted upon said bobbin-shaped member in which series the indi- Vidual arcuate membershave their opposite ends secured to the opposed flanges of said bobbinshaped member with the concave side of the arcuate member directed outwardly, an elastic web carried by each said arcuate member and occupying the concave side thereof, said web when in an unstressed condition extending in a plane radial to the axis of said bobbin-shaped member, and a row of plucking fingers carried by the radially outward edge of said web.

2. In a poultry picker, a bobbin-shaped member, means whereon said member is mounted to rotate about its axis, a circumferentially spaced series of elastic webs carried by the peripheral portion of the bobbin-shaped member. and lying in radial planes parallel to its axis, feather plucking fingers carried by the outer portions of said webs and a multiplicity of plucking fingers covering side portions of said webs.

3. In a poultry picker, a bobbin-shaped member, means whereon said member is mounted to rotate about its axis, a circumferentially spaced series of arcuate members bridgingthe space between the end members of the bobbin-shaped member with their concave sides directed radially outward, an external ear carried by each arcuate member near each of its ends, said ears being directed toward the axis of the bobbin-shaped member, fastening means whereby said ears are secured to the inner sides of the end members of said bobbin-shaped member, and webs occupying the concave sides of said arcuate members and furnished with feather-plucking elements.

4. The subject matter of claim 3, and said arcuate members having their midlength portions abutted against each other in a spaced relation to the shaft of said bobbin-shaped member.

5. The subject matter of claim 3, and said ears being formed upon reinforcing metal strips that ebxtend longitudinally through said arcuate memers.

6. A fowl plucking member consisting of a substantially rigid arcuated member having an elastic web bridging its concavity, an plucking elements carried by said web.

7. A fowl plucking member consisting of a substantially rigid arcuated member having an elastic web bridging its concavity, plucking elements carried by said web, and a metallic reinforcing strip extending longitudinally through said arcuate member, said strip having aperturedend portions directed toward the convex side of saidarcuated member.

8. A fowl plucking member consisting of a rigid reinforced rubber member having a recessed sideportion, an elastic web spanning said recessed side portion, and a multiplicity of plucking elements carried by the outer edge portion of saidwebn 9. A fowl plucking member consisting of a rigid reinforced arcuate rubber member having an elastic web extending across its concavity, said web carrying a row of plucking fingers along its outer edge portion. v

10. The subject matter of claim 9,.and there being a multiplicity of plucking fingers covering side portions of said web and fingers.

11. In a poultry ber having end plates, means whereon said member is mounted to rotate about its axis, a circumferentially spacedseries of arcuate. members mounted upon said bobbin-shaped member in which series the individual arcuate members have their opposite ends secured to the opposed end plates of said bobbin-shaped member and their convex i es pro id d wit c n be els.

picker, a bobbin-shaped memthe corner bevels of adjacent arcuate members abutting each other at the midlength part of the REFERENCES CITED convex sides of said arcuate members, elastic Th f ll win references are of record in the webs carried by the opposite sides of said arcuate fi Of this Pat n and feather means Carr 5 P 12. A fowl plucking member consisting of a Number Name Date substantially rigid arcuated member having an 2,295,761 smith Sfipt- 19.42 elastic web bridging its concavity, plucking ele- 2,413,711 Jerome 1947 ments carried by said web, and a multiplicity of 10 2,429,623 Johnson 23, 1947 frusto-conical minute elastic nipples projecting from the surface portions of said web and from said plucking elements thereof.

FRANK C. VALENTA. 

